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Jazz Classical Pop

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About the album

Here is the box containing Beethoven’s five Piano Concertos performed by Hannes Minnaar and The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jan Willem de Vriend.
So far two single volumes had been issued: while the one including Concertos nos. 4 & 5 was acclaimed by Gramophone as: "beginning a Beethoven cycle with the Fourth and Fifth Concertos is a bold move but one that pays off in all sorts of ways", the same magazine welcomed the disc with Concertos nos. 1 & 2 for “its pleasing mix of finesse and drive”.

Now the box also offers the so far unissued Concerto no. 3.

Despite the very large number of recordings already made of this musical corpus, Minnaar and de Vriend have proved that they have something new and totally their own to say about this collection of masterpieces. And it is indeed the peculiar blend of sheer energy and esprit de finesse that can be identified as the distinctive brand or these recordings.

The Edison Nominations have been announced. Dutch pianist Hannes Minnaar has been nominated for the Edison Audience Award with his Gabriel Faure album. You can vote for this album: here
Furthermore horn player Rob van de Laar has been nominated in the Category ' The Debut' with his album 'Heartfelt' and conductor James Gaffigan and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in the Category 'The Orchestra' for the album with Prokofiev's Symphonies 1 & ...

Choosing his own musically very rich way, Hannes Minnaar is very well supported by Jan Willem de Vriend, and both sign an unconventionally personal account of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos, the first reference recording of this cycle in the 21st Century.

"Minnaar is more a combination of a sober Northerly perfectionist with exiting French flair, (compare his wonderful solo disc Fauré: Piano Music - Minnaar) both characteristics intertwiningly co-existing in his Beethoven. Taken all these elements together, I’d say that this set is hardly comparable with anyone else’s."

"The members of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra are playing on the edge of their Chair. And Hannes Minnaar follows that same steep path perfectly! Nothing is flattened or updated. Then there was Bert van der Wolf who has immortalized this extremely colorful and engaging piece in a beautiful recording."